After The Battle
by Dimiourgia
Summary: The Dark Forest has been beaten and the battle between good and evil is over, the damage has been done but it is slowly beginning to be repaired. The Clans are steadily growing strong again, this time keeping in mind that even the most unexpected things can happen. However, new dangers are rising and threats are being made... are the Clans ready for it so soon?
1. Allegiances

_A/N:_ I'm very excited to write this, not only because I am a big fan of the WARRIORS series but also because I enjoy writing and being able to just escape to a whole new fantasy land :P

Also, there's a bit of POV changing in this story... I don't have a set schedule for it, but I want to get POV's from all the clans and the occasional ones from our lovely villians.

Now, I know that Bramblestar's Storm will be out soon and will probably be very different than this.  
This fanfic is just what I wished would have happened after the Dark Forest attack and whatnot.  
...Did I word that right?

* * *

******After The Battle**  
Allegiances

* * *

**ThunderClan**

Leader: Bramblestar-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Squirrelflight-dark ginger she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice: Snowpaw

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather-gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes  
Apprentice: Dewpaw

Warriors

Brackenfur-golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail-long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches

Millie-striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom

Leafpool-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

Spiderleg-long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall-light brown tabby tom

Sorreltail-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Whitewing-white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose-cream-colored tom

Poppyfrost-tortoiseshell she-cat

Hazeltail-small gray and white she-cat  
Apprentice: Amberpaw

Mousewhisker-gray-and-white tom

Lionblaze-golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap-reddish tabby tom

Icecloud-white she-cat

Toadstep-black-and-white tom

Rosepetal-dark cream she-cat

Briarlight-dark brown she-cat

Blossomfall-tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Bumblestripe-very pale gray tom with black stripes  
Apprentice: Lilypaw

Dovewing-pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Ivypool-silver and white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes  
Apprentice: Seedpaw

Cherrypelt-fluffy ginger shecat with amber eyes

Molefur-brown and cream tom with amber eyes

Apprentices

Snowpaw-white tom with amber eyes

Dewpaw-gray tom with amber eyes

Amberpaw-pale gray she-cat with white paws, white muzzle, a white right ear, and amber eyes

Lilypaw-dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Seedpaw-very pale ginger she-cat

Queens

Daisy-cream long-furred cat from the horseplace

Cinderheart-gray tabby she-cat (mother to Hollykit, a pale grey she-kit with amber eyes, and Flamekit, a dark golden tabby with amber eyes)

Elders

Dustpelt-dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm-pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Blackstar-large white tom with one jet-black forepaw

Deputy: Rowanclaw-ginger tom

Medicine Cat: Sparrowflight-large tabby tom

Warriors

Oakfur-small brown tom

Smokefoot-black tom

Toadfoot-dark brown tom

Applefur-mottled brown she-cat

Crowfrost-black-and-white tom

Ratscar-brown tom with long scar across his back

Snowbird-pure white she-cat

Tawnypelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Olivenose-tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw-light brown tabby tom

Kinkfur-tabby she-cat, with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Shrewfoot-gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur-dark gray tom

Tigerheart-dark brown tabby tom  
Apprentice: Dewpaw

Dawnpelt-cream-furred she-cat

Pinenose-black she-cat

Ferretclaw-cream-and-gray tom

Starlingwing-ginger tom

Apprentices

Dewpaw-gray she-cat

Queens

Ivytail-black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat (mother to Pinekit, a dark grey tom with green eyes)

Elders

Cedarheart-dark gray tom

Tallpoppy-long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

**WindClan**

Leader: Onestar-brown tabby tom

Deputy: Swallowtail-dark gray she-cat

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight-mottled gray tom

Warriors

Crowfeather-dark gray tom

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom

Whitetail-small white she-cat

Gorsetail-very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Harespring-brown-and-white tom

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Antpelt-brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Sunstrike-tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead

Whiskernose-light brown tom

Furzepelt-gray and white she-cat

Boulderfur-large pale gray tom

Apprentices

None

Queens

None

Elders

Webfoot-dark gray tabby tom

**RiverClan**

Leader: Mistystar-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Reedwhisker-black tom

Medicine Cat: Mothwing-dappled golden she-cat  
Apprentice: Willowshine-gray tabby she-cat

Warriors

Graymist-pale gray tabby she-cat  
Apprentice: Curlpaw

Mintfur-light gray tabby tom

Icewing-white she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail-dark gray she-cat

Pebblefoot-mottled gray tom

Duskfur-brown tabby she-cat

Mallownose-light brown tabby tom

Robinwing-tortoiseshell-and-white tom  
Apprentice:Podpaw

Petalfur-gray-and-white she-cat

Grasspelt-light brown tom

Hollowflight-dark brown tabby tom

Rushtail- light brown tabby tom

Mossyfoot-brown and white shecat

Troutstream-pale gray tabby she-cat

Apprentices

Willowshine-gray tabby she-cat

Curlpaw- light brown she-cat

Podpaw- brown tabby tom

Queens

Mosspelt-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Elders

Dapplenose-mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail-ginger-and-white tom

**Cats Outside the Clans**

Smoky-muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a barn at the horseplace

Floss-small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace

Tigerlily-pale ginger she-cat with black patches

Nightcloud-black she-cat, former Windclan warrior

Breezepelt-black tom with amber eyes, former Windclan warrior


	2. Prologue

_A/N: _I don't know what season it's supposed to be, because I don't know what season it was at the end of The Last Hope and this takes place six moons after... so we're all going to pretend that it's Summer/Greenleaf.

* * *

**After The Battle**  
**Prologue**

* * *

A brilliant bolt of lightning that flashed in the sky seemed to coat everything temporarily in a blinding sheet of white. It was quickly followed by a loud crack of thunder that sent flocks of birds into a constant cawing.

Swirling masses of various shades of gray covered every possible trace of blue sky that was hidden behind it. As the rain that had been pouring down from the clouds since sunrise continued to rage on, two completely soaked cats were struggling to find shelter.

"Why do I have to live like this?" The one trailing behind hissed through gritted teeth, pure anger and hatred burned in his amber coloured eyes, no life appeared to be in them, just fury.  
His fur was matted as if he didn't care enough to maintain it, his ribs were jabbing out beneath his black pelt as if he hadn't eaten in days. That was to be expected, both of the _as if's _were true.

"It should have been them! I don't deserve this! I was a warrior, a full clan warrior!" he continued, spitting out every word with complete and utter anger. Why, of all cats, did it have to be him who was treated this way?

The she-cat in front of him didn't even look back. The two were quite similar in appearance, but there was a dimmer fierceness in her eyes, if anything she looked more annoyed.

"If you hadn't noticed, _I'm_ stuck out here too! You're not the only one! Stop being so selfish and whining about your petty problems, that's why cats don't like you!" She snapped, shaking her head in disappointment, "You're the worst excuse for a son any cat could have."

The tom narrowed his eyes, "You don't need to remind me, mother." He growled, unsheathing his claws and with every step he took, digging them into the soft earth, "You've done that enough already."

"And it's true! What are you? Not a warrior, if that's what you think! You can't win a single battle despite all the training you've had, you're a failure!" The she-cat snorted, her tail snapping back and forth, "All I wanted was just one kit who wouldn't let me down, and Starclan gave me you."

"I suppose you want me to be more like _them_?" The tom spat, glaring at the dark outline of his mother.  
The she-cat ignored him and continued walking,

"We need to find some place to stay..." She mumbled, mostly to herself, "Where did you say you saw that old twoleg nest?"

"We're not going there! What if-"

"Just where is it, Breezepelt?" The she-cat demanded, another bolt of lightning flashed and the light blocked out everything but her burning orange eyes as she looked back at her son.

Breezepelt let out a frustrated sigh, "This way." He said, resisting the urge to swipe his claws across his mothers face.  
She was an annoying pest, no wonder why Crowfeather didn't like her.

When would she ever leave him alone? He had never asked her to come with him when he left Windclan! She just trailed behind, nagging at him and looking down on him... treating him like he was a kit!

As he walked shoved past her, another rumble of thunder took place and in that very moment, Breezepelt took the chance to tell his mother something he would have loved to tell her earlier,

"You and everyone else deserve to be dead." He hissed, shooting a glare at her as he took the lead.  
She had never liked him, neither had his father. His former clanmates had thought of him as useless. Who were the cats they praised? His half-kin. The saviors of the clans. Cats who were supposed to be nothing more than a mistake and instead grew to fulfill a prophecy.  
What was so great about them, anyway?

Breezepelt had never liked them or any other cat who treated him like he was some sort of rock-brained toadstool. At least _he_ was full Windclan, but had he been given the chance to prove he wasn't a traitor like his father had been?  
No, of course not. They hadn't even listened.

Nightcloud didn't show any sign of her hearing him and Breezepelt continued on with the previous conversation, "It's not to far from here, but in this weather it might take awhile."

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Nightcloud snapped, "Any more time spent out here and I just might get angry!"

* * *

"We're lost." Nightcloud muttered, clearly frustrated.

"No we're not."

"Yes we are, Breezepelt! If we're not lost, then where are we?"

Breezepelt paused, there was no telling exactly how long they had been walking for and the heavy rain made everything hard to see, but he was sure that they were going in the right direction, "In a forest." he replied, fairly certain of his answer.

"We're not near the lake again, are we?" Nightcloud asked, "You'd have your ears torn off if Windclan ever saw you."

"Do not mistake me for a fool. I know when I'm not wanted." Breezepelt hissed, unaware of the words until after they left his mouth.

Nightcloud scoffed, "Not wanted alive, maybe. If your brothers had lived, then maybe I'd still be in camp, boasting about how wonderful they were. But with my luck, of course that doesn't happen! Instead I was forced to run off with you because I can't even imagine what it would be like to be known as the she-cat who's son was a traitor!"

"How terrible." Breezepelt muttered, trying to peer through the heavey drops of rain.

"If I were you, I'd be nicer to you're son. Given the right circumstances, he could have been quite the cat." A different, quieter voice meowed and a pale ginger she-cat with black patches came into view. Her green eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, something about them gave a cold chill down Breezepelt's spine.

The fur along Nightcloud's neck rose, "Who are you?" She demanded, unsheathing her claws.

The she-cat blinked, "We're in the middle of a storm and that's the only thing on your mind? Who I am? Honestly Nightcloud I thought you were more creative than that."

Nightcloud was taken aback that the other cat knew her name, "How do you-"

"Just wait, there will be plently of time for your questions later. But in the meantime, why don't you two follow me? It's not healthy to stay out in the rain like this, you'll both catch a cold and unlike in that former clan of yours, neither I or any of the other cats around here know how to treat them. We're working on that."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Breezepelt stepped in, not wanting to accept the help of a stranger.  
Once again the she-cat blinked,

"I'm offering you my help, either you take it or you're left to die. It's not that hard to figure out who's side I'm on, Breezepelt."

The mother and son exchanged conflicted looks, but there was one thing that they finally seemed to agree on.

They followed the she-cat.

* * *

After what seemed like ages, the three cats stopped at a large, solid gray box type thing that Breezepelt could easily tell was created by twolegs. Parts of the box seemed to be falling off and other parts looked more reddish orange than grey.

The tom was already questioning where exactly the she-cat was leading him, but at the sight of what was in front of him triggered a whole new set of questions that popped up in his mind.

"Are you going to tell us who you are now?" He growled, narrowing his eyes with uncertainty. Of course the she-cat wouldn't, she hadn't answered the other times he had asked, why would she now?

"Tigerlily," The she-cat replied suddenly, "That's who I am. Would you like to meet the others? We've all been looking forward to officially meeting you two, Rudy and a few other friends will be glad that I finally brought visitors from the clans."

Breezepelt was now officially sure that following Tigerlily was a bad idea. Glancing at Nightcloud, he knew that she agreed with him.

"What do you want?" He snarled, unsheathing his claws.

Tigerlily's eyes seemed to darken at the question, "It's not just what I want, Breezepelt. I could name countless things that I wished would be different, but I won't." She said, there was a change to her voice that gave off a strange effect, "You matter, too. You're whole life you've been nothing, is that correct? You've been mistreated, Breezepelt. I'm here to fix that."

"That's not an answer!"

Tigerlily sat down, "Isn't it? More than anything, what do you want, Breezepelt? I know more about you than you do about yourself. You've been rejected and ignored, set aside because you were classified as important. Yet at every chance you got you tried to prove your worth, but again and again you were thrown back." She said, flicking her tail as she stared at him, "Don't you want revenge at those who hurt you? Who despised you all your life? You matter just as much as every other cat, Breezepelt, maybe even more. Don't you want to show everyone that?"

Breezepelt paused, her words were getting to him. They described everything he had ever felt towards the cats who thought of him as just the pesky little Breezepelt. They made sense.  
He nodded.

The she-cat's face to darkened even more, "Then we'll help each other? I've heard stories that the Dark Forest failed you, but I can promise you that I and the other cats here won't do such a thing. We're not failures, Breezepelt, we're prepared to win."

Nightcloud, who had been listening to every word carefully, was looking back and forth at her son and the strange she-cat.  
"You can give us whatever we want?"

Tigerlily nodded, "Anything within reason, of course. I'm confident that your goals are similar to mine."

Breezepelt studied her, "And what happens if you're lying?"  
"Why would I? I want power just as much as you do. This isn't a game, Breezepelt, there's to be no cheating involved."

Nightcloud wrapped her tail around her paws, "Well, if we're getting anything we ask for, then I already know what I want!"  
Tigerlily turned to Breezepelt, "And you?"  
Breezepelt's eyes met hers, "You're going to help me finish what Tigerstar started."  
The she-cat's green eyes' flickered, "Then it's true, great minds really do think alike."


	3. Chapter One

_A/N:_ Amber, thank you for reviewing! I've fixed a few of the problems in the prologue and I made it a bit longer... Not sure if I like how I did it, though. I'll probably go back and change it.  
EDIT:  
Which I did. ...A long while later

RandomReader, haha, what will I do with him? o.o I need to figure that one out, still...  
I don't mean to copy the books, but he's gonna come and bite the clans in the butt. Not literally.

* * *

**After The Battle**  
**Chapter One**

* * *

Sunlight seemed to wash over the Thunderclan camp like the waves that lapped over the sand at the lake. Every cat was welcoming the warm rays and the slight breeze that was drifting through the forest, the warmth was a nice change from the storm that had ended a few sunrises earlier.  
With the land full of prey, the lake filled with fish, and the clans striving like they do every greenleaf, it was hard to tell that only six moons ago a battle had taken place, a horrible fight between the clans and the Dark Forest.  
Luckily the clans had won, and the resting cats that lived by like hoped that such a battle would never take place again.

Two kits in the Thunderclan camp were swatting mossballs at eachother, apparently the game was quite the entertainment because it was nearing sun-high and they had been playing just a little while after sunrise.

"Aren't you two hungry?" Their mother, a gray she-cat by the name of Cinderheart asked. She was sitting at the entrance of the nursery with two mice at her paws, wondering if her kits would ever eat them or if she'd give Sandstorm and Dustpelt the meal instead.

"No!" The pale gray she-kit replied, throwing the mossball yet again at her brother.

This time, however, the other kit didn't return the toss and instead ran over to where the fresh kill lay, "Speak for yourself, Hollykit! I'm starving!" He exclaimed, his amber eyes shining as he tossed the mouse up in the air and happily catching by the tail.

Hollykit, left by herself, fumbled with the mossball between her paws before joining her brother and mother.

"If you keep eating all the time, Flamekit, you're going to get fat like Bumblestripe!" She squealed, amused at her littermate's increasing appitite.

Flamekit rolled his eyes, "Mice are food. Cats eat food. That's the way it works, mousebrain!"

Cinderheart flicked her tail, "Be nice you two." she meowed before adding in a whisper, "And don't make fun of Bumblestripe, he might be able to hear you." She chuckled.

Hollykit gave a doubtful look towards her mother, "He doesn't have hearing like Jayfeather." she pointed out, prodding the mouse that lay infront of her with her paw.

Flamekit nodded in agreement, "Yeah! And Dovewing wouldn't tell him either! " He meowed, nodding towards the light gray she-cat who was talking to Ivypool near the warriors den.

Cinderheart tilted her head, "I doubt she'd be able to hear you, Flamekit."

"But doesn't she have really good hearing? Better than Jayfeather?" The golden furred kit asked, his amber eyes wide with curiousity.

Cinderheart flicked her tail, "You need to stop taking everything the elders say so seriously." She meowed, "Believing those nonsense tales of theirs won't do you any good."

Hollykit tilted her head, "But I thought she, Lionblaze and Jayfeather were all part of-"

The she-kits mother cut her sentance short, "As I told your brother, believing in those stories are pointless, Hollykit. Cats like to talk, but the things you've been hearing from them aren't true."

Flamekit frowned, "So they don't have any fun powers? I was hoping that if I asked Starclan really nicely, they'd give me wings and I could fly!"

"Of course not, Flamekit. And no matter how hard you wish, cats don't grow wings." Cinderheart said, a twinkle in her eyes, "Now, why don't you two go play with the apprentices? I'm sure Lilypaw and Seedpaw would love your company. Maybe when Amberpaw and Snowpaw come back from hunting, you can play with them too."

Flamekit bounced to his paws, "Okay! Come on, Hollykit!" he squealed, already bounding towards the apprentices den.

Hollykit glanced up at her mother, unwilling to go. "Do I have to?" She asked, her shoulders sagging.

Cinderheart sighed, "You have to make sure your brother doesn't into trouble, I can rely on you to do that, can't I? Or is it too much work for my poor little daughter?" She asked, a slight challenging tone in her voice.

Hollykits eyes lit up, "I can do that!" She declared, rising to her paws, "I'll make sure he stays in line!"

Cinderheart nodded, "I know you will. Now, off you go."

* * *

"Watch out!" Flamekit warned as Lilypaw dove towards Hollykit, "Lilystar is going to get you!"

Hollykit understood the warning too late and before she could do anything, the apprentice had already pinned the kit down to the ground.

"Ha! Lilyclan wins!" Lilypaw yowled, pride in her voice, "How many times is that? Three?"

Seedpaw narrowed her eyes, "I thought we agreed that our clan was Seedclan!" she argued, "That way it would be fair."

Lilypaw looked back at her sister, "I'm the leader, Seedfur, I choose the clans name." she pointed out, "Besides, Seedclan is a mousebrained name for a clan. What are we, flowers?"

Flamekit padded up to them, "I want a warrior name!"

Lilypaw nodded, "Of course! From this day forward, you will be known as Flamepelt, the fiercest warrior in all of Lilyclan!"

"What about me?" Hollykit asked as she sat down beside the apprentice, "Am I allowed to be a warrior?"

Seedpaw flicked her ears, "Neither of you are part of Lilyclan, mousebrains. Choose your own warrior names."

Lilypaw ignored her sister and nodded at Hollykit, "And you'll be known as Holly..." She trailed off, a confused look on her face, "I can't think of a name..."

Seedpaw laughed, "This is exactly why _I _should be leader, you can't even give her a warrior name!" she taunted,"Her name will be Hollyleaf!"

Hollykit looked at the other apprentice with unease, "I thought we weren't allowed to use that name in Thunderclan."

Flamekit nodded in agreement, "Because Hollyleaf was a real cat, and she died!"

"All cats die, Flamekit." Seedpaw snapped, "Why would Hollyleaf's death be so important that we can't use her name?"

"Sandstorm says she saved Ivypool's life!" Flamekit continued, "And she was a hero!"

"Well why is she the only hero Thunderclan has?" Seedpaw demanded, "Are there any other names that can't be used?"

As the two of them continued to argue, Hollykit was aware of a pair of eyes staring at her, what unnerved her the most was that the eyes were blind.

* * *

Sitting at the entrance to the medicine cat den, Jayfeather sat with his tail wrapped around his paws and his ears pricked towards the two apprentices and two kits who seemed to be trying to settle a disagreement.

Normally such a thing wouldn't of caught the medicine cats attention, but Jayfeather listened in on their conversation because of a name that was mentioned.

The kits and apprentices weren't supposed to know about Hollyleaf, they weren't supposed know about anything from the battle. None of the younger cats were.  
Thats what the Clans had agreed; the battle between the Dark Forest would be forgotten, it had never happened. If enough cats forgot, then the living memories of the evil would fade and be gone forever, never to bother the actual living again.  
When stories were told, the memories lived on and the threat remained.

"Jayfeather? Is something going on?" The familiar voice of Dewpaw asked and a few heartbeats later the medicine cats' apprentice came up beside him.  
Jayfeather shook his head, "No, I was just thinking."  
From the back of the den, the crippled she-cat by the name of Briarlight laughed, "Always stuck in your thoughts, Jayfeather."  
The medicine cat contined to listen to the situation of Hollyleaf and the battle.  
He'd speak with Dustpelt and Sandstorm later.


End file.
